Saturn wrote:I was about to delete this thread until I saw who had posted it, the title made me think it was spam

I never thought of that ! I couldn't put the whole title in the subject box as it wouldn't fit. If I had typed Keats and eroticism that might have also beeen taken for spam! As it happens this article is a serious consideration of eroticism as a spiritual expression in his works- which actually I agree with.

John....you did not live to see-who we are because of what you left,what it is we are in what we make of you.Peter Sanson, 1995.

I noticed that the author of this article listed Jack Stillinger's "The Hoodwinking of Madeline" in the references. I loved this book -- I had one "Ah ha!" moment after another. -- I'm fond of books that challenge the reader to view a favorite poem from different viewpoints.

Thanks for the link to the article, Raphael. It's a good one. Those reviewers who had so savaged Keats's poems denigrated Keats for his sensuality without acknowledging that Keats recognized the very spiritual aspects sexuality.

"The philosopher proves that the philosopher exists. The poet merely enjoys existence."Wallace Stevens

Cybele wrote:I noticed that the author of this article listed Jack Stillinger's "The Hoodwinking of Madeline" in the references. I loved this book -- I had one "Ah ha!" moment after another. -- I'm fond of books that challenge the reader to view a favorite poem from different viewpoints.

Hello Cybele! He has been mentioned before on here as being good at his views of the poems.

hanks for the link to the article, Raphael. It's a good one. Those reviewers who had so savaged Keats's poems denigrated Keats for his sensuality without acknowledging that Keats recognized the very spiritual aspects sexuality.

Yes indeed- I know he wrote a few cheeky poems in fun like O blush not so but mostly his sensuality was very spiritual and beautiful- especially in Endymion.

John....you did not live to see-who we are because of what you left,what it is we are in what we make of you.Peter Sanson, 1995.

I wonder how this article ties into Christopher Ricks' book "Keats and Embarrassment"? Anyone?

"Come... dry your eyes, for you are life, rarer than a quark and unpredictable beyond the dreams of Heisenberg; the clay in which the forces that shape all things leave their fingerprints most clearly. Dry your eyes... and let's go home."

BrokenLyre wrote:I wonder how this article ties into Christopher Ricks' book "Keats and Embarrassment"? Anyone?

Oh my -- I read this one years ago. (In fact, I originally read it shortly after it was published, back when I first became interested in Keats.) I'm afraid to say that at the time, it didn't make much of an impression one me. I also took a lot of grief from my husband, who thought that the title was hilarious. (Hey -- what the heck does he know, anyway? )

It's quite possible, tho', that I didn't approach it with the right attitude. (That is, I was searching for hard biographical facts at the time, rather than just absorbing and thinking about the ideas put forth in the book. -- This is a mistake I frequently make.)

The fact that it's been re-printed at least once says something positive about it.

I think maybe I should re-read this one. Thanks for reminding about it.

"The philosopher proves that the philosopher exists. The poet merely enjoys existence."Wallace Stevens